Geoege l



(No Mbdel.)

G. L. THOMAS.

ELEGTRIG SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

No. 556,072. Patented Mar. 10,1896.

ZZZ/Weir;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. THOMAS, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE HASELL PERFEOTED RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,072, dated March 10, 1896. Application filed Tune 11, 1895. Serial No. 552,376. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. THOMAS, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Signaling Systems for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in electric signaling systems for railways, with the object in View of providing against accident in tunnels, on bridges, or at any other special portion of a railway-line, either where the line is guarded throughout its length bya signal system or where there is no such system.

My invention is more particularly adapted to use in connection with a single-track railway along which trains pass from time to time in opposite directions.

The accompanying drawings represent a portion of the track with signals electrically interconnected through the rails of the track for signaling trains approaching in either of two opposite directions.

For purposes of explanation I will assume that the track intermediate of the two signals and denoted by A passes through a tunnel or over a bridge or some particular portion of the line which it is desirable to specially guard. Another portion of the track, denoted by A, has its rails insulated from the rails of the portion A, and a third section of the track, denoted by A also has its rails insulated from the rails of the section A. At the beginning of the section A which is to be guarded, assuming the train to be going from the left to the right, there is located a signal-in the present instance a semaphore blade B- which when standing horizontally denotes danger and when dropped into a downwardly-inclined position denotes safety, as is usual. At the opposite end of the section A, and for the purpose of signaling a train going from the right toward the left, there is a corresponding signal B. Caution-signals O and C are located at a distance from the signals B and B to the left and to the right, respectively, sufliciently far away from the .signals B and B to enable a train to slow down and be brought under perfect control before reaching the signals B B.

ftwith ground.

The signal B is assumed to be under the control of an electromagnet D, the armature of which, when the magnet D is energized, will set in operation a suitable motor for throwing the signal B to safety A motor suitable for this purpose is shown, described and claimed in my pending application, Serial No. 547,119, filed April 25, 1895, and is shown diagrammatically at E, as it forms no part of my present invention, excepting so far as it serves as one convenient means for practically operating the system herein described. In a similar manner the electromagnet D through the motor shown diagrammatically at E controls the movement of the signalB.

The signals 0 and O are controlled by electromagnets F and F through similar or other suitable motors. (Shown diagrammaticallyat G and G.) The electromagnet F is energized by the movement of the signal B from danger to safety positions by the closing of contact-pieces f f, the former connected by a wire f with one pole of the electromagnet F, and the other through a battery f and wire The opposite pole of the battery F is also connected with ground through the wiref I11 like manner the electromagnet F is energized by the movement of the signal B from danger to safety positions by the closing of the contact-pieces g g, the former connected with one pole of the electromagnet F by a wire and the latter connected through a battery g and wire g with ground. The opposite pole of the electromagnet F is also connected with ground through a wire 9 A wire (Z leads from one pole of the electromagnet D to a battery cl, from the opposite pole of which a wire (Z leads to an armature h of a relay II. A wire (Z leads from the opposite pole of the electromagnet D to a contact-piece (1*, with which the armature h of the relay H rests in electric contact when it is drawn toward the relay H by the energizing of the same. In a similar manner the poles of the electromagnet D are connected by wires 6 and 6, one of them passing through a battery c with the armature-7L of a relay II and with a contact-piece c with which the armature h comes into electric contact when the relay H is energized.

The rails a a of the track-section A are electrically connected to the left of the position of the cautionary signal G by a wire i, including a battery I. The rail a is also connected at or near its end adjacent to the tracksection A by a wire 7; with one pole of a relay K, the opposite pole of said relay being connected bya wire with the rail a at or near its end adjacent to the tracksection A, thus completing a normally-closed electric circuit through the battery I, the rails a a, the wires 7; 7e, and the relay K, and hence holding the said relay K energized and its armature k drawn toward it. In a similar manner the rails a a of the track-section A at the right of the track-section A are connected at a point to the right of the track-section A. There is therefore a normally-closed electric circuit through the battery I, rails a a, wires k k, and the relay K, tending to keep the relay lCenergized and its armature 70" closed.

The rails a? and a of the track-section A are connected at one end, the rail a by a wire 1 with one pole of the relay II and by a branch wire L through a battery L with a contact-piece 1*, with which the armature 7t of the relay K is in electric contact when it is closed, and the rail a by a wire 1'' with the armature 7&2 of the relay K. The opposite end of the rail (0 is connected by a wire 1* with the armature 79 of the relay K, and the opposite end of the rail (1, is connected by a wire I with one pole of the relay II by the branch wire 1 through the battery L with a contact-piece 1*, with which the armature k of the relay K is in electric contact when closed. The opposite pole of the relay II is connected by a wire m with a contact-piece m, with which the armature k rests in electric contact when it is open, and in a similar manner the opposite pole of the relay II is connected by a wire m with a contact-piece on, with which the arinature 70 of the relay K rests in electric contact when open.

In operation suppose a train to be approaching the track-section A from the left toward the right. As soonas it passes the point where the rails of the track-section A are connected by the wire 1' through the battery I, it will cut out the relay K from the effect of the battery I, de-energizi'ng the relay K and permitting its armature 76 to open. The opening of the armature 70 by its contact with the contact-piece m, will complete the following electric circuit through the relay II, provided the relay K atthe distant signaltower is energized and its armature closed, viz: beginning with the armature 70 in contact m, along wire m to one .poleof the relay II, from the opposite pole of said relay along wire Z to rail a to wire 1, to armature 7a, to contact 1 to battery L, to wire Z, to wire 1, to rail a, back to wire Z to armature It. This will energize the relay II and close the armature it into contact with the contact-piece cl and complete the circuit through the electromagnet D, viz: from one 'pole of electromagnet D, along wire d to battery cl, to wire (1 to relay II, to contact (1 along wire (I to the opposite pole of the electromagnet I). The energizing of the electromagnet D will, through the suitable motor, drop the dangersignal B to safety, and in so doing will close the contact-points f f, and thereby complete circuit through the wires f f f, battery f and eleetroinagnet F, energizing the electromagnet F and through its suitable ar1nature throwing the caution-signal 0 down to safety. This will indicate to the engineer, as he approaches the caution-signal O, that the danger-signal B beyond is set at safety and the track-section A, as well as the section A beyond, is clear for him to push on at such speed as he may see fit.

If, on the other hand, upon entering the section A the engineeriinds that the caution or distance signal. 0 does not drop to clear, he is warned to slowdown and creep cautiously up to the danger-signal l3, and finally to stop at the danger-signal, unless in the meantime it shall have fallen to safety or clear by the passage of the obstructing train off the tracksections A A.

Neither the caution-signal 0 nor the dam ger-signal 13 can be thrown to safety by the entrance of the train upon the section A, un less both the sections A and A are free from trains, no matter whether they be moving in the same direction as the train coming onto the section A or in the opposite direction, and this is true for a train upon the tracksection A will, by cutting out the battery I from the circuit in which the relay 'K is 10- eated, 'de-energize the relay K, and hence open the armature k and so break the circuit, which, as has been above noted, must be completed in order to energize the relay II to throw the signal B to safety or clear. Again, if the train were on the section A it would cut out the battery L from the relay II, and hence the relay II could not be energized. In the same manner a train coming from the right toward the left would operate its caution and danger signals, provided the tracksections A and A were both clear, but if a train were 011 either of them it would be unable to get a clear signal until the trains had passed off.

What I claim is-- 1. In combination, a track-section having its rails insulated from adjacent track-sections, the adjacent track-sections each having their rails in electric circuit with a relay, the one with a relay at a signal-tower at one end of the intermediate track-section and the other with a relay at asignal-tower at the opposite end of the intermediate track-section, a signaLcontrolling electromagnet at each of said towers and electric circuits including the rails of the intermediate tracksection, the armatures of the said relays and a second relay at each of said towers for permitting or preventing the operation of the signals at the towers, according to, the position or positions of a train or trains on said track-sections, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination, an intermediate tracksection, the rails of which are insulated from adjacent track-sections, a signal for indicating danger and safety at each end of said intermediate track-section, a distance or cantion signal under the control of the movement of each of said danger and safety signals, electric circuits including electroma nets for controlling the movements of the said danger and safety signals, electric circuits each including the rails of the intermediate track-section for making and breaking the 15 termediate track-section, substantially as set 20 forth.

GEORGE L. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, IRENE B. DECKER. 

